Zimbabwe has been in the news all over the world. Mostly all of the media coverage was negative – and rightly so. Tens of thousands of Zimbabwe fled the country and reside mostly in South Africa and Mozambique. Of these fleeing Zimbabwe many are trying to survive with only the clothes on their back. These people, far from their homes, family and friends are continuing to struggle.

FLEEING TO SAFETY: A Zimbabwean woman with her child on her back flees across the Zimbabwe-South Africa border at Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, South Africa. There are reports about Mugabe loyalists sweeping the countryside with wooden sticks and hunting down opposition supporters (AP)

Photo taken from www.businessworld.in/…/New-Avenues.html

One of the biggest battles is not just to help them physically but also spiritually. It all started many years ago when we provide Shona Bibles to believers who were in desperate need for Bibles. Trying to meet the demand we realize how difficult it was to get these Bibles. In fact – the Shona Bible is currently the scarcest Bible in the world. There is currently only one organisation in Africa (South Africa) who keeps them at this stage – and no it is not the Bible Society.

Shona Bibles are not printed anymore in Zimbabwe and getting the printing rights is currently not possibly. It is reported though that http://www.biblesforbelievers.org/ will possibly be getting the right to print Shona Bibles.

We have been extremely fortunate to have wonderful people come on board to help us get some of these Bibles. We yearly distribute many hundreds of Bibles. We could distribute thousands if we had the funding but a few good people came on board and helped us to get at least 350 Bibles sponsored. These 350 quickly grew to 550 and we are currently standing on 700 Bibles being sponsored.

I will share some stories as we hand over this precious cargo to many pastors waiting. We only hand out Bibles to pastors and leaders we have a relationship with and to those who can read and write – for obvious reasons.

I have just had the opportunity to hand over some of the precious cargo (again brought over the borders very quietly) to some amazing growing churches. Areas like Malape, Nhamadzi, Pungwe-Sul (new churches planted) are areas in central Mozambique that has a great hunger for the Word of God. I wish you can be with me as I hand over these Bibles. The joy, screams and total chaos as many receive their first Bible ever.

Thanks to many sponsors it is now possible to hand over some scarce Shona Bibles to women who could never read or write. The woman action has more than 700 women waiting to receive their first Bible.

Our team on the mission base with SAM Ministries (our partners for the last 14 years) are an integral part in helping all of us to reach out to our more than 400 pastors to each have their own Bible.

Thank you to Bellville Congregation, Naomi and Johan van Loggerenberg, Anton Louw, Jan van den Bergh, The Bible Society and http://www.biblesforbelievers.org/ and other friends for their generous contributions to buy 550 Bibles. Bibles are currently R80 a Bible and very expensive. Thank you for taking your bread and butter money to make it possible for someone else to read their own Bible for the first time.